


Is He Cheating?

by ironspydr



Series: A Day in the Lives [3]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M, mentions of self harm and suicidal thoughts, thoughts of cheating, very light sexual themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:37:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironspydr/pseuds/ironspydr
Summary: Another old one folksJake thinks Rich is cheating on him.





	Is He Cheating?

**Author's Note:**

> kinda ooc i think but this is old

Their apartment was small compared to Jake’s old house, but they’d made it theirs. There was a stereo by the entrance, posters on the walls, and an old arcade game that Michael and Jeremy had given them when they moved in. The furniture was clean, despite it having been bought used. The whole place fit together nicely, like the two of them.

It was a quiet night in for them. Rich had made them both a nice dinner of dinosaur chicken nuggets and mozzarella sticks—his signature meal. Jake smiled to himself at the way the food was arranged on his plate when Rich set it in front of him. The dinosaurs appeared to be climbing trees and sitting on logs. It was, frankly, adorable.

“You’re so cute, Rich.” Jake couldn’t help saying it. He’d been saying it a lot lately, since he’d realized how red faced it caused his boyfriend to become. Rich could keep a straight face through hours of dirty talk, but mundane compliments are what really got to him.

Blushing, Rich smiled softly. His eyes shifted from Jake’s to his own plate in embarrassment. The smiles on both of their faces didn’t leave them throughout the whole meal.

The plan had been dinner and cuddling on their new couch, and the first part was a success. The second was close to becoming a reality when Rich sat up from his place on Jake’s chest abruptly.

“Is something wrong?” Jake’s voice was soft and smooth.

“I just need to,” Rich replied, “go to the bathroom.” 

It sounded like he just thought of an excuse on the spot, but Jake was tired and honestly a bit tipsy from the wine his boyfriend had served at dinner, so he let it slide. Tipsy Jake could never be angry at Rich’s lisp. 

Scrambling up off of his boyfriend, Rich disappeared around the corner where their bathroom was located. Jake sat up, sighing. He didn’t know how long Rich would be. He missed him already.

————

That would not be the last time Rich slipped out on Jake when they were about to cuddle or become more intimate. Jake swore he counted at least four times he was deprived of Rich’s body on his this month alone.

Something was going on. Besides those times, Rich had also skipped two of his chemistry lectures, which was unheard of; he loved chemistry. He even attended class the day after his and Jake’s two-year dating anniversary, which turned out to be a mistake. Jake wouldn’t let Rich go to class hungover again. He was absolutely miserable.

Along with those missed days, Rich had also been spending a lot of time alone. When they’d started dating, Rich had wanted nothing more than to be with Jake at all times, and it hadn’t really changed in their two years together. Until now, that is. He’d stolen away to the confines of the second bedroom--which was empty, since the two of them shared the bigger one--more than Jake would have liked. He missed his boyfriend when he was gone. It also didn’t help that Jake could hear Rich talking to someone when this happened. He could never make out the words, nor could he tell if the person was in the room with Rich or on the phone. He could barely hear a feminine voice through the door.

It scared him. 

If Rich was talking to one of their friends, he’d tell Jake, so that he could say hello, in Christine’s case, good luck, as she usually called before a particularly stressful audition. Whoever it was, Rich wanted to hide it from Jake. 

He’d already contemplated possibilities. Rich couldn’t be planning Jake a surprise party. That didn’t mean skipping class, nor was Jake’s birthday anytime soon. He also considered the idea that it could be Rich’s family contacting him. They were estranged since his mother had died, and his father was not a nice man to be around. Jake knew he had an older brother, but it was entirely possible that he had a sister or cousin or someone else he’d never told Jake about. Rich was secretive when it came to his family and Jake respected that. He was the same way. 

Deciding on that solution, Jake let the next week’s half dates and loneliness slide by. He knew Rich would come around when he was ready. 

On that Friday, however, things changed.

————-

They’d just gotten back from their shared night class—philosophy—and Rich had been especially adorable with his feet swinging barely above the floor as he sat in his desk. Jake hadn’t been able to handle it.

The walk back to their apartment had been quiet, but Jake was making plans in his head to make Rich his for the night. 

They’d walked in, and as soon as the door had closed, Jake had his boyfriend against the adjacent wall, his left wrist being held over his head by Jake’s hand, his lips colliding with the other man’s. 

Rich gasped, and Jake pulled his face away just slightly and looked down at him. “Color?” he asked softly, his voice breathy. 

Rich gulped. “Green, but-” he started, then Jake interrupted. 

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He took his hand off of Rich’s wrist, where his sleeve had been pushed up by the force. In the moonlight streaming in from the window, he saw red marks on his boyfriend’s arms. 

“What-” he blinked. “What are these?” Worry crept into his voice. 

“Nothing,” Rich whined. “I’m fine, are we doing this or not?” 

“Richie,” Jake said as he stepped back from the shorter man. “Who did this to you?” He knew it wasn’t him. He’d never abused Rich, nor did they engage in...those kinds of activities. 

“ _No one_ ,” Rich replied, pulling his sleeve back down over the marks. 

“Really? Because you’ve been acting _hella_ weird lately, and that’s something someone hiding things would say!” He was worried, but his words came out more like anger. “I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, but,” his voice broke, “are you cheating on me?”

Rich’s eyes widened and his mouth formed an O as his eyebrows scrunched together in a way Jake would find cute in any other circumstance. “No!” he shouted. “You’re all I’ve ever needed! Why would I need to-“

“All the signs point to this, Richard!” Jake was verging on tears. He hadn’t wanted to point this finger. He hadn’t wanted to even _think_ about this. It made him feel sick to imagine Rich, his sweet and adorable boyfriend of two years, cheating on him right behind his back. “What else could this be?”

Rich flinched at Jake’s tone, and Jake couldn’t help but feel guilty for becoming so harsh with him. 

“Jake,” Rich whispered, his eyes full of worry and something Jake couldn’t quite identify, “I swear to God, I’m not cheating on you. Do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

Jake didn’t think that, of course he didn’t. Rich had changed since the SQUIP had manipulated the hell out of him. He was nicer, softer, more mature--a lot more mature. But the evidence was against Jake’s wishes. 

“Who have you been talking to? Why are you skipping classes? Why are you bailing on our date nights? If you’re not cheating on me, I’d like to hear your excuse.” Jake looked down at Rich in anger and worry, one hand on Rich’s arm--he didn’t know when it had moved there--and the other on his own hip. 

Rich’s bottom lip quivered. “I- I-” 

“You don’t even have one?” Jake all but shouted. “You didn’t even think of a cover story in case I found out about this? You’re smarter than that, Rich!” He hadn’t noticed his grip tightening around Rich’s burn-scarred arm until it caused the smaller man to whimper. He let go immediately. 

“Jake,” Rich whispered again, and his boyfriend could see the tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but-” Not even his lisp could get Jake on his side this time.

“Sorry? You’re breaking my heart!’ Jake took three deep breaths, watching the water in Rich’s eyes shake itself down his cheeks. He held his hand out. “Give me your phone,” he said tonelessly. “I at least want to know who I’ve been sharing you with.”

Rich sputtered, but gave up, reaching into his pocket and slapping his iPhone into Jake’s hand. 

Jake backed up, putting Rich’s passcode in--a simple 1234 pattern--and pulled up the recent calls. Rich watched in what Jake assumed was shame and guilt. 

“Cynthia?” Jake spat. “That’s her?”

Rich opened his mouth to say something, but Jake cut him off. “I’m calling her.” He put the phone next to his ear.

“Jake!” Rich cried. “Hang up, I-I’ll explain it all, I swear!” His lisp was more prevalent than ever, and he tried and failed to reach the phone himself. 

Jake ignored him, letting the phone ring until a woman’s voice answered. “Richard?” She said, and Jake didn’t know what to say. Should he yell at her? Should he apologize to her? Maybe she didn’t know Rich had a boyfriend. It might not be her fault. 

Jake could barely hear Rich’s pleas for him to stop. They sounded distant. The woman spoke again. “Richard, are you all right? Do you need a dispatcher?” She sounded worried. 

“Dispatcher?” Jake repeated, much to Rich’s visible dismay. He decided to rip it off like a band-aid. “My boyfriend is cheating on me with you,” he said quickly, tears forming in his own eyes now. 

Rich was freely crying now, his sleeves pushed back over the marks on his wrists, wiping the tears from his face. 

“You must be Jake,” the woman replied. “Is Richard all right?”

“What are you talking about? I just said he’s cheating on me. You knew about this?” Anger crept its way back into Jake’s voice. 

“Do you have the right number, sir?” 

“Judging by Rich’s reaction, I’d say I fucking do!” 

“This is a suicide and depression hotline. Richard has been assigned to me. I believe you should talk to him.”

The phone hit the ground and the sound of the woman hanging up echoed in Jake’s ears. What? That couldn’t be true. That was their excuse--their lie. It had to be. 

His eyes glanced slowly down at Rich, who had started crying harder. As he wiped his tears off of his chin, his sleeve was pushed up once again, revealing the marks Jake had seen earlier. That sealed it.

“R-Rich,” Jake sputtered. “I’m so _sorry_. I shouldn’t have jumped to concl- Why didn’t you tell me? What’s going on?” He felt absolutely awful. Everything hurt. Rich was suicidal? He was hurting himself? And he hadn’t told Jake anything about it? What happened to their relationship? Did Rich think Jake would judge him? Leave him?

Rich’s voice was shaky and weak, a tone that rarely escaped the usually peppy and flirtatious man’s lips. “I wanted to get better before I told you,” he admitted, causing more tears to fall from both men’s eyes. So it was true--he was struggling with himself. “I wanted you to be proud of me afterward, not worried during.” He was barely whispering, but Jake’s senses were on such overdrive that his voice was the loudest thing he’d heard in a while.

“W-What brought this on, Richie? Did I do this?” He had to ask. 

“N-No,” Rich shook his head violently. “It was just a relapse, I-I swear. Cynthia says those just happen.”

Jake could tell this was hard for Rich to say. His boyfriend had gotten better after the SQUIP incident, sure, but not before a severe depression caused by the awful things he’d done while he’d been SQUIPped and the lack of something telling him who to be. And he’d relapsed. 

And Jake didn’t even notice.

He bent down instantly, hugging his boyfriend tightly. “I’m so sorry, RIch,” he spouted. “I should have seen this, I should have helped--”

Rich hesitantly reciprocated the hug. “I didn’t want you to notice.”

Jake showered Rich’s hair with short kisses. “You don’t have to do this alone,” he said. “I’m so sorry I just assumed--God, I’m sorry.”

Rich laughed nervously. “I would have thought the same, Dill Pickle,” he reassured. 

Jake smiled down at him. “I’m gonna help you through this. Don’t think about me being worried. I’m already proud. You contacted help yourself. I probably wouldn’t have done that.”

“Really?” Rich questioned, looking up at Jake and blinking a straggling tear out of his left eye. 

“Totally, babe. I love you. Do you need anything right now?”

“J-just you,” Rich answered softly, relief visible on his face. 

Jake leaned further down and kissed him for a long while, pouring all of his apology into it. 

Pulling away finally, he spoke again. “Color?” he asked, smiling faintly.

“Green,” said Rich, his real smile returning for the first time in weeks.


End file.
